Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will make an assessment of the compatibility of the gesture made by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Education outside Downing Street on 7 July 2022 with provisions in the Ministerial Code in respect of the conduct of Ministers during their interactions with members of the public.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Ministerial Code sets out that Ministers are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety. Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Ministerial Code, and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State has released a public statement and commented that she ‘should have shown more composure’.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 June 2022 on Business Update, Official Report, HCWS137, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the potential impact of The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022 on employment relations in Wales.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Welsh Ministers on a wide range of issues. As previously stated in 2017, the UK Government intends to legislate to remove the Trade Union (Wales) Act 2017 through primary legislation when Parliamentary time allows.
The repeal of Regulation 7, which will apply across all sectors, is designed to minimise the negative and unfair impact of strikes on the British public by ensuring that businesses and services can continue operating. Strikes in public services, such as education, can often mean parents have to stay at home with their children rather than go to work. Strikes in the rail sector stop commuters getting to work.
Removing Regulation 7 does not put in place any new barriers on an individual’s right to take part in lawful industrial action. Employment businesses will not be required to supply agency workers to businesses, rather the change that we are making simply provides the freedom to do so, should they wish to.
While we continue to work with the Welsh Government in a number of areas, employment and industrial relations law is a reserved matter for the UK Government. It is right that we seek to apply trade union law equally and fairly across Britain to ensure that services, such as train lines, are run as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, with reference to the Written Statement of 23 June 2022 on Business Update, Official Report, HCWS137, whether he had discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the potential impact of The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses (Amendment) Regulations 2022 on employment relations in Wales.
Answered by Simon Hart - Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury (Chief Whip)
I have regular discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Welsh Ministers on a wide range of issues. As previously stated in 2017, the UK Government intends to legislate to remove the Trade Union (Wales) Act 2017 through primary legislation when Parliamentary time allows.
The repeal of Regulation 7, which will apply across all sectors, is designed to minimise the negative and unfair impact of strikes on the British public by ensuring that businesses and services can continue operating. Strikes in public services, such as education, can often mean parents have to stay at home with their children rather than go to work. Strikes in the rail sector stop commuters getting to work.
Removing Regulation 7 does not put in place any new barriers on an individual’s right to take part in lawful industrial action. Employment businesses will not be required to supply agency workers to businesses, rather the change that we are making simply provides the freedom to do so, should they wish to.
While we continue to work with the Welsh Government in a number of areas, employment and industrial relations law is a reserved matter for the UK Government. It is right that we seek to apply trade union law equally and fairly across Britain to ensure that services, such as train lines, are run as effectively as possible.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has had with (a) large fuel firms and (b) other stakeholders on the impact of the rise in the cost of living.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The Government understands that fuel prices are an important component of UK household and business expenditures and is sympathetic to the impact of domestic fuel costs on UK consumers.
BEIS Ministers are in regular contact with the fuel industry at all levels and have made it clear operators should do everything they can to reduce the cost to end users.
The Government has asked the Competition and Markets Authority to conduct an urgent review of the fuel market, as well as a longer-term market study under the Enterprise Act 2002, to explore whether the retail fuel market has adversely affected consumer interests.
Asked by: Kate Osamor (Independent - Edmonton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if the Government will launch a public inquiry into the Metropolitan Police’s handling of potential breaches of covid-19 regulations in 10 Downing Street.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Metropolitan Police Service, in common with all other police forces in the United Kingdom, is operationally independent from Government. To protect and maintain that independence, Ministers do not intervene in individual cases, complaints or operational decisions made by the police and nor should MPs.
Allegations against the police are handled under a comprehensive legislative framework, which includes the role of the independent police “watchdog”, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The IOPC is responsible for investigating the most serious and sensitive cases and, by law, forces must refer certain matters to them – including any allegation of serious corruption. The Government strengthened the police complaints and discipline systems in February 2020 making them more timely, proportionate and accountable. This included additional powers for the IOPC, including the “power of initiative” to ensure they can investigate of its own volition without first requiring a referral from a police force.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to Part One of the National Disability Strategy, published July 2021, what recent steps his Department has taken to (a) encourage and support workplace disability networks, (b) achieve and maintain the highest level of Disability Confident accreditation, (c) ensure responsive and timely support to meet workplace adjustment needs and (d) develop and embed flexible working.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
(a) The Department provides encouragement and support to workplace networks through a partnership agreement. The agreement recognises the role our networks play, and the valuable contributions they make to help improve the working conditions, policy and processes for our diverse workforce. Networks all have a senior champion, allocated time to conduct network business and membership of various committees and regular meetings with the Department’s Executive Team and Ministers
(b) The Department is an accredited Disability Confident Level 3 leader. The accreditation was reassessed and validated in April 2021
(c) The Department already has processes in place to ensure colleagues who require workplace adjustments are supported. This includes workplace adjustments passports, an Occupational Health service provision and a Workplace Adjustment service. There are service level agreements in place and we work closely with our providers to monitor performance and continuously improve. Since March 2020, we have been working with our service providers to ensure a continuity of service through various working from home restrictions and to ensure that colleagues requiring duplicate or additional equipment receive this to enable them to work comfortably in a home or office environment
(d) The Department’s Smarter Working model will allow colleagues to decide when and where their work is best done. We have already rolled out new technology to all of our offices to ensure that people can join inclusive meetings regardless of their location. We also have plans to roll out smarter working standards to the rest of the estate to ensure that our buildings support flexible working which will include ensuring that people have the right workspace to support their needs whether working from home or from one of our offices.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will hold discussions with social media firms to help ensure that they conduct investigations into allegations of incidents of online abuse.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with social media platforms on a range of issues, including to discuss incidents of online abuse. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on GOV.UK.
Under the draft Online Safety Bill, social media firms will need to protect users from illegal abuse. Services will need to have effective systems in place to minimise and remove illegal content and protect children from harmful abuse. Major platforms will also need to address legal but harmful content for adults. Priority categories of legal but harmful content for adults will be set out in secondary legislation and these are likely to include some forms of online abuse.
If platforms fail in their duties under the Bill, they will face tough enforcement action including fines of up to 10% of global annual qualifying turnover.
The draft Bill has been subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by a Joint Committee which reported its recommendations on 14 December. We are considering the Committee’s report and will introduce the Bill as soon as possible.
Asked by: Bill Esterson (Labour - Sefton Central)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the letter from British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Charles Hay MVO, to her Department of 17 June 2020 regarding labour concerns within Malaysia's glove industry.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
The UK takes allegations of labour exploitation in supply chains extremely seriously. On 26 March 2020 we became the first country to publish a Government Modern Slavery Statement setting out the steps we have taken to prevent modern slavery and incentivise responsible business conduct in our supply chains. This Government is committed to ensuring that our trade policy is consistent with our international obligations. We are clear that more trade does not have to come at the expense of human rights.
Advice from civil servants to ministers is not routinely published.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the involvement of CVC Capital in the bid by Sisal S.p.A for the National Lottery Licence, whether his Department has plans to introduce measures to ensure that (a) CVC Capital upholds obligations to Debenhams pension fund and (b) National Lottery funds will not be used to pay dividends to CVC Capital partners.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The competition for the next licence to run the National Lottery is run by the Gambling Commission. Government is not involved in selecting the winning bid. The Commission has received four final applications to run the licence. This is the highest number of applications received since the first licence was awarded in 1994 and reflects the strength of the competition, and the market’s recognition of the opportunity which exists.
While the competition remains on-going it is not appropriate to comment on whether an individual, or organisation, has participated in any stage of it. We have no plans to publish any correspondence received by the Department from either CVC Capital Group or Sisal partners.
As part of the Department’s public appointments process, applicants to public bodies roles, including to the Gambling Commission’s board, must declare in their application any private interests which would result in actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. On taking up an appointment to the Gambling Commission, Commissioners are required to adhere to principles in Nolan Principles and the Gambling Commission’s own Code of Conduct for Commissioners. Further to this:
All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;
Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;
Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and
When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).
The purpose of the National Lottery, as set out in legislation, is to raise monies for the four good cause pillars. The National Lottery must be run by a single purpose vehicle, with controls in place to ensure that proceeds cannot be diverted to another area of the operator’s business. The mechanism by which proceeds are divided between good cause returns and profits will be set out in the licence while decisions about the use of their profits will be a matter for the operator.
Defined benefit pension schemes are an important source of retirement income for many people in the UK, and the Government is committed to ensuring that they are protected. Whilst it is not appropriate for Ministers to comment on the arrangements of particular pension schemes, the Pensions Regulator monitors private Defined Benefit pension schemes and has the powers to act where they believe a breach of the law has taken place. The Government is committed to strengthening the powers at the disposal of the Regulator and new sanctions, within the Pension Schemes Act 2021, will strengthen the punishment for irresponsible management of pension schemes.
Asked by: Mark Tami (Labour - Alyn and Deeside)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what processes are in place to ensure that members of the Board of Commissioners have no conflict of interest pertaining to the Fourth National Lottery Licence process.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
The competition for the next licence to run the National Lottery is run by the Gambling Commission. Government is not involved in selecting the winning bid. The Commission has received four final applications to run the licence. This is the highest number of applications received since the first licence was awarded in 1994 and reflects the strength of the competition, and the market’s recognition of the opportunity which exists.
While the competition remains on-going it is not appropriate to comment on whether an individual, or organisation, has participated in any stage of it. We have no plans to publish any correspondence received by the Department from either CVC Capital Group or Sisal partners.
As part of the Department’s public appointments process, applicants to public bodies roles, including to the Gambling Commission’s board, must declare in their application any private interests which would result in actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest. On taking up an appointment to the Gambling Commission, Commissioners are required to adhere to principles in Nolan Principles and the Gambling Commission’s own Code of Conduct for Commissioners. Further to this:
All Commissioners are required to declare interests at least annually, and ensure in year changes are notified as necessary;
Their interests are published on the Gambling Commission’s website;
Declarations of interest are sought at the beginning of every board and committee meeting; and
When an interest is declared, it is reviewed by the Head of Governance and the Chair of the Commission to identify if any action is required as a result (up to and including asking my Department to terminate the appointment/asking them to terminate their interest).
The purpose of the National Lottery, as set out in legislation, is to raise monies for the four good cause pillars. The National Lottery must be run by a single purpose vehicle, with controls in place to ensure that proceeds cannot be diverted to another area of the operator’s business. The mechanism by which proceeds are divided between good cause returns and profits will be set out in the licence while decisions about the use of their profits will be a matter for the operator.
Defined benefit pension schemes are an important source of retirement income for many people in the UK, and the Government is committed to ensuring that they are protected. Whilst it is not appropriate for Ministers to comment on the arrangements of particular pension schemes, the Pensions Regulator monitors private Defined Benefit pension schemes and has the powers to act where they believe a breach of the law has taken place. The Government is committed to strengthening the powers at the disposal of the Regulator and new sanctions, within the Pension Schemes Act 2021, will strengthen the punishment for irresponsible management of pension schemes.